Improved insole for boots and shoes



J. SLOAN. INSOLE FOR BOOTS AND SHOES.

No. 34,702. Patented Mar. 18, 1862.

UNITED STATES PATENT Orrrcn.

JOHN SLOAN, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

IMPROVED INSOLE FOR BOOTS AND SHOES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 34,702, dated March,18, 1862.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN SLOAN, of the city and county of Philadelphia and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Insoles for Boots and Shoes; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, making a part of this specification, in which- Figure 1 represents atop plan of one of the insoles with the cloth' or covering removed from over the wood. Fig. 2 represents a longitudinal section throughan insole complete, showing the three substances of which it is composed, and Fig. 3 represents a'transverse section of the same. I

Insoles have heretofore been made of various substances, such as cork, leather, metal, rubber, cloth, and probably other thin gs. Such insoles I lay no claim to. I have,,however, made an insole composed substantially of a metal bottom overlaid with wood, by which arrangement of material I get an insole impervious to water or moisture, while the wood as a non-conductor of heat leaves the foot warm. I cover the wood, of eourse,with some soft material to make it pleasant to the foot; but the metal and wood are the main elements in the insole; and my invention consists in the production of an insole made of metal and wood combined as above stated.

To enable others skilled in the art to make and use my invention, I will proceed to describe the same in connection with the draw- I take thin sheet-copper and cut out a piece a little larger than the inside of the shoe in which it is to be worn. I then, out of suitable wood, sawed into thin veneers, cut out a piece of about the size of the inside of the boot or shoe, it being of'less size than the piece of copper, so that the edges of the copper may fold over onto the wood to unite the two. In turning the edge of the copper over onto the wood a small wire may be inserted to give strength and finish to the insole; and, at the same time, if that plan is preferred, a tape, selvage, piece of cloth, or other thing may be caught or held in the folded-over or seamed metal, to which the cloth covering may be sewed. This dispenses with paste or cement,which under the moisture and warmth of the foot is apt to 'giv'efway. The cloth might itself be caught under the lap or fold of the metal; but then a rim of metal would be in contact with the foot. Other Ways of fastening the cloth covering to the insole may be used, but I prefer the plan I have above explained. The cloth covering need only be united at a few points'say at the toe, heel, and instep. These alone will keep it in place. In the wood I bore any suitable number of holes, but which do not. go through the metal bottom, andvneed not gothrough the cloth covering, but may do so. The object of these holes is that the independent working of the wood and metal while the user is walking may drive the air out or through these holes, and thus keep up a circulation of air that will carry off the dampness of the foot. With such an insole the feet will be perfectly dry and warm.

The folding down of the metal may be done by. a machine, and the wire and selvage at the same time. I propose to use copper, but any other thin pliable metal may be used. The copper is by far the best, being less corrosive. The wood should be of some of the harder kinds and well seasoned.

In the drawings, a represents the copper bottom, I the wood, and c the cloth covering.

d represents the folded-over edge of the copper upon the wood, and e represents the wire folded in; but the wire need not always be used.

f represents holes made through the wood I).

The whole, being perfectly simple, will be readily understood.

I have in some cases nailed the parts that form the insole together. This brings the metal in contact with the foot, a thing I try to avoid.

The wood acts as a non-conductor.

Having thus fully described my invention, andthe manner of making and using the same, what I claim is An insole for boots and shoes made of a thin metal bottom and a thin wooden top, the two united together in the manner and for the purpose substantially as herein described and represented.

JOHN SLOAN.

Witnesses:

A. B. STOUGHTON, H. W. PRICE. 

